How Is Assisted Living Different from Other Forms of Senior Housing and Nursing Homes?

Assisted living fits in the continuum of care between shared living arrangements such as congregate housing and the more intensive medical and skilled nursing services provided by nursing homes. One of assisted living’s defining features is the individualized personal care provided to residents who need assistance with activities of daily living or for example help with medications. Assisted living also can provide a structured setting for residents who are experiencing memory loss and other symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

Many individuals and their families choose assisted living because it values the independence and dignity of individual residents while providing cost effective and needed services in a home-like environment. Assisted living, with a few exceptions, does not provide the 24 hour skilled medical services of a nursing home and may only be chosen as an option after a required resident assessment is made of an individual's medical status and functional ability.